


First Meeting

by ncsupnatfan



Series: Storm [2]
Category: Supernatural
Genre: Drama, Friendship, Hurt/Comfort, Supernatural Elements
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-12
Updated: 2020-09-13
Packaged: 2021-03-06 17:35:15
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Major Character Death, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 13,095
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26422726
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ncsupnatfan/pseuds/ncsupnatfan
Summary: This is a sequel to Alone and needs to be read first.  It picks up about six weeks after the previous story ended.  The brothers are together and hunting.  They find a case and one is hurt.  Instead of searching for a hospital, they head for the Sniper's Nest.
Series: Storm [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1920571
Comments: 4
Kudos: 5





	1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Hello dear readers, I am back with a short (2 chapter) story to continue the Storm and Dean story. I had fun creating this character and wanted to do more with her. I hope you enjoy the read. Comments make my day. NC**

**Disclaimer: I do not own SPN and this is my own creation. Any errors are my own.**

* * *

**Chapter 1**

The motel room was quiet except for the soft noises of the television that was turned low. Sam let his eyes scan the screen of his laptop before looking up and to the bed where his brother was propped up flipping through the channels on the television. He studied him for a moment as he thought back to Dean showing up unannounced in his apartment at Stanford, telling him their Dad was missing and may be in trouble. He had agreed to go with him but insisted that he needed to be back on Monday for an interview at the college. 

Sam wiped a hand down his face and squinted his eyes shut for a moment when the memories of finding his girlfriend, Jessica, pinned to the ceiling of their bedroom, bleeding out, played out in his mind. She died just like their mother all those years ago which could only mean one thing, the yellow eyed demon was somehow involved in her death. He would have died there with her if Dean had not pulled him from the room and out of the apartment as the flames engulfed the bedroom and Jessica’s body. The grief and numbing pain still hung heavy in his mind, even though he tried to hide it from Dean. He was going to ask Jessica to marry him, but all that went up in smoke when she died in the fire. He fought back the tears that threatened to fall when a chirp from a cell phone sounded loudly in the room.

Knowing it was not his cell, Sam saw Dean rollover and grab his cell from the nightstand and bring up his messages. He was surprised by the change in his brother as he half smiled when he read the message and started typing a reply. Dean’s whole demur changed and softened as Sam continued to watch him. He was still the hardnosed, ruthless, no nonsense, trained, and deadly hunter as before, but now it was like he allowed himself to feel some happiness.

Sam had noticed the subtle change in Dean and finally got it out of him that he had met someone. He did not know much about her but that her name was Storm and she owned and ran a bar Dean had stopped at after his last hunt. He spent a few unforgettable days with her before coming to find him. When Sam questioned Dean further, he found out it was Storm who suggested Dean come find him. 

Sam could tell he really liked this woman more than any other one he had slept with. They talked almost every night since he had teamed back up with Dean and started hunting again. He wanted revenge on the demon who murdered Jessica and knew the best way to get it was letting his brother help. 

“Was that Storm?” Sam asked when Dean laid his cell back down with a small smile on his face.

“Yeah, she wants to meet you,” Dean replied, relaxing back into his pillow, and staring absently at the television.

“I’d like to meet her too. She’s got to be special to snag you.” Sam had been privy to Dean’s womanizing growing up, even if he did not want the juicy details. But with Storm, he was keeping everything to himself and not giving Sam any details of their encounter. This was a first, so he knew Dean had fallen hard for Storm.

“You find anything to check out yet?” he asked changing the subject.

“Maybe, I’m still scoping it out,” Sam sighed turning back to the laptop. He typed the name of the bar into the search engine to see where it was located and found it was a little over an hour from the town where a possible case might be. Maybe Dean would take him by the bar after the hunt and introduce him to the woman who had captured his heart. Sam went back to the articles and read them once again before deciding it was something they should check out. “I think I’ve found a possible case and it’s close to the Sniper’s Nest. We could swing by afterwards…”

Dean looked over at his brother as he let his last words trail off and pursed his lips for a moment before answering.

“Yeah we might do that since we’ll be close,” he determined. Dean wanted to see Storm again since it had been nearly six weeks. She had been begging for him to bring Sam by so they could meet but looking for their father had taken up their time. 

Sam chuckled to himself because he saw a glint of anticipation in Dean’s eyes at the prospect of seeing Storm again. He shut down his laptop and closed it before standing and stretching his tired, long frame to get the kinks out of his back. Sam headed to the bathroom to do his routine so he could turn in. 

**spn**

The brothers left the motel early the next morning for Kearney, Nebraska. If traffic was light, they would get there around lunchtime, giving them time to grab a room, check in with the locals, and get what information they could about the missing teenagers. Sam had found newspaper articles about the incident and the locals did not have a clue what had happened to them. Seemed they went parking at a local hangout in the area used by teenagers to make out and never made it home. There had been two teenage couples that disappeared in the past two weeks from the locale with no clues to what happened to them.

“You want to go grab a room for us?” Dean asked Sam as he pulled into the parking lot of a motel and stopped at the sign marked office. 

“Sure, how do I pay for it?” he asked before getting out. “We’ve used the money you won at playing poker.”

“Here you go, compliments of Mr. Frazer,” Dean told him pulling out a credit card with a fake name on it. 

“You’re going to get caught one of these days,” Sam sighed, accepting the card.

“Hey, I only apply; can’t help that the credit card companies keep sending them to me.”

“Whatever,” Sam replied rolling his eyes at his brother as he got out of the Impala. He made his way to the office door and went in to get a room.

Dean pulled his cell out and sent a message to Storm that they were near and might stop by when they were finished with a possible case. He smiled when she replied she would have a cold one waiting for him. He stashed his cell when Sam stepped from the doorway and waved for him to pull around to the back as he strolled behind the office to where the rooms were heading for an end room near the back, close to an exit.

Dean parked in front of the room and got out to open the trunk to get their bags while Sam opened the door to the room. He grabbed their bags, tossing them to Sam so he could get their suit bags and weapon’s bag before joining Sam in front of the room. He went in first and gave the room a quick once over before nodding his approval and going on in. He dropped a suit bag on each bed while Sam sat their bags on them.

“You want the bathroom first?” Dean asked.

“Okay, fine with me,” Sam shrugged picking up his suit bag and heading for the bathroom. They were going in as FBI agents so the locals would talk to them and not interfere with their snooping around. 

Dean looked around and found the remote to turn the television on while he waited his turn. He settled on his bed, closest to the door and relaxed. After flipped through the channels, he found an old western to watch and let his mind wander to his brother. Dean knew Sam was hurting more than he was letting on after losing the woman he loved. He knew he was barely sleeping and when he did, would wake up with a scream on his lips. He could not get Sam to talk about it, no matter what he said and did not want to push too hard making him shut down all together.

“Your turn,” Sam announced stepping from the bathroom with dress pants and shirt on. He saw Dean relaxed on his bed but could tell his mind was elsewhere when he jerked slightly with his words. 

“Okay,” Dean replied shaking himself slightly as he got up from the bed and grabbed his suit bag to head for the bathroom. He came back out fifteen minutes later dressed in his own dress clothes and grabbed the room key and car keys so they could visit the local cops. He headed out the door, with Sam close behind him and they got in the Impala to leave.

**spn**

The two-story brick building housing the police station was located near the courthouse toward the center of the town. Police cars were parked in the parking lot and Dean found the visitor slots and took one, parking the Impala. They got out and slipped on their jackets and straightened their ties. Dean handed Sam a fake id before pocketing one of his own. He took the lead and headed for the front doors, knowing he needed to ease Sam back into the business since he had been out of it for nearly four years. 

When Dean stepped through the doors, he glanced around and headed to a counter with a man in uniform sitting behind it. 

“Can I help you?” the officer asked eyeing the brothers and thinking they were some type of law enforcement.

“Yes, Agents Planet and Shaw, FBI. We’d like to speak to the officer in charge of your missing teenagers’ case,” Dean stated firmly as he pulled out his fake id and flashed them at the officer. 

Sam did the same, following Dean’s lead and stood tall like he had authority. It was not hard to fall back into the routine of a hunter and back up his brother. 

“One moment,” the officer said. “You can have a seat over there and I’ll call someone to help you.”

Dean looked behind him and saw the chairs against one wall. He moved with Sam to them and took a seat while the officer picked up his phone and called to the back. They looked around the room thinking it looked like any other station they had visited while working a case over the years. Dean quieted Sam’s bouncing leg with a gentle hand when he saw him fidgeting the longer they waited.

A door behind the counter opened and a tall, fit, dark haired, middle age man in uniform stepped into view. Dean could tell he was intelligent by the look in his eyes as he raked them over the brothers for a moment before stepping through a small gate to greet them.

“Hello agents, I’m Captain Savick, head of the Kearney police force. How can I help you?” he asked in a deep, rumbling voice. 

“Captain, Agents Planet and Shaw, FBI,” Dean introduced them and shook his hand. “We’re here to help on the missing teenagers’ case sir.”

“Really? I don’t remember asking for any help with that case.”

“Someone called our boss’s boss and our boss wanted us to check the case out,” Sam offered. “We don’t question him, just do what he says. You know how that is.”

“Well, not sure how you can help, but come back to my office and I’ll show you what we have so far,” Savick told them as he led them into the squad room and to a corner office. He motioned for them to have a seat as he dropped into a chair behind a wooden desk. “Not sure what else you can find that we haven’t and I’ve got to say it’s not much.” He looked through the files on his desk for a moment before separating two out and handing them to the brothers.

Dean took the files and gave one to Sam as he kept the other. He thought it was thin as he opened it to find two photos clipped on the front page of a teenage girl and guy. He studied the photos for a moment before skimming through the report. It seemed Captain Savick had covered most of the bases if this was a normal missing person case. If there was anything supernatural about it, he would not know what to look for or would overlook a clue.

“Are you sure the kids are missing and not just maybe run aways or gone off partying?” Sam asked.

“I’ve talked to everyone that knew them and I was told they were good kids. They went to Harper’s Ridge to make out like most of the teenagers around here do. We found their cars but no sign of the kids in the area and no witnesses.”

“So, you’ve not found any bodies, or no one has called in ransom demands?”

“No to both questions. We’ve checked the bus and train stations, airport, and can’t find any leads that they left on their own accord. Right now, I have no leads.”

“Can we get copies of these reports?” Sam asked laying the folder on the desk.

“Of course, I doubt you find anything that we missed but you are welcome to give it a shot.”

“We’ll do what we can sir.”

“I expect to be kept in the loop if you do find out any new evidence.”

“Of course. Here’s my card with my number if you find out any more about the missing kids.”

“Thanks, I’ll keep you posted,” Savick nodded looking over the card before slipping it into his desk blotter. “I’ll get copies of these made for you if you want to wait at the front.”

“No problem and thank you for the cooperation. We’re not here to take over or take credit for solving this case, Captain. We just want to help.”

“Good to know agent, I’ll keep that in mind.”

The brothers got up and followed the Captain back to the front, pausing when he stopped at a desk and asked an officer to make copies of the two files for him. He continued to the front and bid them goodbye and good luck before disappearing back through the door. Dean and Sam sat back down and waited for copies of the paperwork. When the officer came out with a folder, they took it and left.

“Do you want to check out the crime scene?” Sam asked as he slumped in the passenger seat of the Impala.

“Yeah, maybe we’ll find something the cops missed.”

“You think it’s our thing or some psycho serial killer?”

“Not sure yet, what is your gut telling you?” Dean asked wanting to see if Sam had his head in the game. He could tell he was weary and strung tightly since his girlfriend’s death and wanted to make sure he did not get himself killed. 

“Don’t know yet, I need some more information before making a decision.”

“Good call, where is this hookup place at anyway?” Dean asked cranking the car and pulling to the exit.

“It’s about twenty miles outside of town up in the hills. Take a left and head out of town,” Sam instructed after he pulled a map up on his cell to find Harper’s Ridge.

“Alright.” Dean turned left and followed Sam’s directions. Thirty minutes later, he pulled into a clearing on a hill that overlooked the town. The grass in the area was beaten down from vehicles coming up here and parking. He parked and killed the engine before getting out and doing a brief survey of surroundings. Dean shed his jacket and loosened his tie before moving away from the car.

Sam stepped out and did a three sixty before stepping away from the car and walking toward the tree line. He stepped into the trees and began to search the area for any clues the cops would not think to look for. He disappeared from view as he walked deeper into the woods. His senses were on high alert as he let his hunter instincts take over. He felt rusty and out of practice, but it was all coming back to him. Something pulled him in one direction and he cautiously and silently moved forward.

**spn**

Dean walked the clearing and let his hunter instincts take over, searching for any clues that would lead them to what happened here. He turned back to the car and let his gaze wander and realized Sam was not in sight. He frowned and paused to listen for any sounds of him.

“Damnit!” Dean growled as he stomped toward the other side of the clearing to search for his brother. Sam knew better than to go off on his own like this, especially when they did not know what they were tracking. “Sam!” Dean called from the edge of the woods as he looked through the trees, searching for movement. When he did not see his brother, Dean walked slowly along the border until he found bent weeds and broken twigs where Sam had gone into the forest. Drawing in a deep breath, Dean stepped among the trees and continued to trail his brother deeper into the woods.

The forest was alive with sounds as Dean moved as quickly and silently through it as he could. He caught movement ahead of him and caught a glimpse of his brother’s back. He increased his pace to catch him, his anger building toward his brother for being so careless.

“What are you doing?” Dean demanded as he grabbed Sam’s arm, making him go on the defensive and shove Dean away before he saw who it was.

“What’s wrong?” Sam asked seeing his brother was agitated and had a frown on his face.

“You know better than to go off on your own like this. You were trained better than this Sammy,” Dean chastised him. “We don’t know what we are dealing with here. You’re just getting back into the hunt and may be a little rusty dude.”

“I’m fine,” Sam retaliated as he stood his full height and glared at Dean. He did not like being fussed at like this, like he was a newbie hunter. Once a hunter, always a hunter, no matter how hard Sam tried to deny it. He saw that when Jessica was murdered. Sam had tried to become someone he was not. He tried to have a normal life. Maybe if he had been more attune to his surroundings, she would still be alive. If he had paid more attention to his dreams and not brushed them off as nonsense, he might could have saved Jessica. He shook his body and dismissed his train of thought when he realized Dean was talking to him and he had not heard what he was saying.

“Look Sammy, you need to ease back into the game to be sure you are ready,” Dean started, but stopped when he saw Sam’s eyes glaze for a moment and knew he was not hearing him. “Hey, are you with me bro?”

“Yeah,” Sam coughed and cleared his throat. “I hear you but I’m fine. I haven’t forgotten what you taught me.”

“Well, that’s good…So, what are you doing out here anyway?”

“I found what looked like a trail and I was following it,” Sam shrugged innocently. “Thought I might find something.”

“Okay, but next time you let me know before wandering off like this. Did you find anything?” Dean asked as he calmed when he saw Sam was okay.

“Over here,” Sam told him walking into some bushes without looking to see if Dean would follow. He stopped in a small clearing that had blood droplets splattering the leaves. “Something happened here.”

Dean surveyed the area, taking it all in before speaking.

“Looks like someone was killed here.”

“Yeah, and it was far enough away from the ridge that the cops wouldn’t find it.”

“It’s not enough blood for four kids to be killed here.”

“I agree, but I don’t know if this gives us enough information to know what we are hunting or even if it’s out kind of thing.”

“C’mon, let’s see if we can pick up a trail from here.”

Dean looked around and saw broken branches that led out of the clearing. 

“This way,” Dean said. He pushed the bushes aside and picked up the trail again. He led them through the trees that were beginning to thin until they broke through them to a logging road that led off the mountain. “This is how whoever took the kids got away.”

“So, it wasn’t some wild animal attack then. You think it’s a human doing this?”

“I don’t know since we don’t have any bodies…Yet. Let’s get back to the car, I don’t think we’ll find anything else here.”

“You’re right, but I’m not sure what to do now,” Sam sighed. They had no leads to follow and as they walked back through the forest his mind began working on possible solutions. He was on auto pilot as he trudged behind Dean. Sam had a feeling this was a supernatural being they were looking for, but he was not sure what. He began to tick off possible monsters, tossing some out that did not match the profile. 

“Sammy, pay attention,” Dean admonished him grabbing his arm before he almost stepped into a partly covered hole.

“Sorry,” Sam mumbled stumbling backwards and letting Dean hold him up until he got his balance.

“You need to be more careful Sammy. Where were you?”

“I was going over what we knew so far about this case and what monsters fit the profile.”

“Well, maybe you should do that once we’re out of the woods.”

“Is it much farther?”

“No, I see the trees thinning up ahead. Let’s get out of here.”

“Alright.”

“My stomach is telling me it’s time to refuel. I say we stop at that diner near the motel and get takeout.”

“Sure, sounds good to me.” Sam followed his brother the rest of the way through the trees, paying attention to where he was going this time.

They stepped from the trees and saw the Impala sitting alone in the clearing and headed for her. Sam was tired, not just from the hike, but from not sleeping well and still grieving over the loss of his girlfriend, Jessica. A night did not go by that he did not dream about her, some more horrific than others. Sam never told Dean that he thought he saw her on a corner not long after they left Palo Alto. He felt like he was going to have a breakdown and did not want Dean to know.

**spn**

The brothers were at a diner the next morning having breakfast when Dean’s cell began to ring. He pulled it out and answered it.

“Agent Planet…Hello Captain…Alright, we’ll need to see the body…Yes, we can meet you at the morgue…Got it…Twenty minutes is fine,” Dean talked as he looked up at Sam.

“Did they find one of the kids’ bodies?” Sam asked after listening to the one-sided conversation.

“Yes, a jogger ran across a dead body at the park this morning. Captain said there was something strange about the death. He’s going to meet us at the morgue in twenty minutes so eat up.”

“That doesn’t sound good,” Sam mumbled forking another bite of pancakes into his mouth. His mind began to whirl as he wondered what they were going to find. 

They finished their breakfast, paid, and headed for the Impala to meet the captain and view the dead body. Dean headed across town to the hospital and pulled around back to park. He saw the police car sitting nearby and got out, waiting on Sam before walking toward a door to go inside. They followed the signs on the wall down several halls before seeing the hanging sign labeled _Morgue_ above double glass doors.

The Captain turned around as Dean and Sam stepped through the doors and glanced around for a moment before walking toward him. He was standing by a steel autopsy table with a body laying on it, draped in a sheet. 

Sam shivered slightly with the chill in the air and wrinkled his nose with the smell. He never got used to the morgue visits and wished they did not have to do that, but it came with the job. 

“Agents, good to see you again, but not under these circumstances,” he nodded to them.

“Captain,” Dean started. “What have you got?” he asked looking at the covered body on the table.

“This is a first for me. A jogger found the body early this morning while running in the park and called 911. The first officer to arrive called and got me out of bed.” The Captain reached and gently pulled the sheet down from the body.

Dean stepped closer as Sam moved to the other side of the table to study the body. They both saw how pale the body was and Sam grabbed gloves to slip on before using a finger to move the head to the side exposing a ragged bite mark. He glanced up at Dean when he could just make out the puncture wounds made by teeth. He looked down at the victim’s arm and found another bite just as torn and vicious. 

“Coroner said the body was literally drained of blood from several wounds that look like bite marks. We didn’t find enough blood at the scene to allow for the blood loss.” The Captain looked from one brother to the other and saw the expressions on their faces. They knew something they were not saying and wondered what it was. “Have you seen something like this before?”

“Yeah, we have,” Dean spoke first. “Can you tell us where to find the crime scene?”

“The park is on the west side of town near the lake. Why? Do you know something?”

“We need to check a few things out before saying anything,” Sam answered peeling off the gloves and tossing them. He knew what they were dealing with and needed to act fast before more bodies were found drained of blood.

“We’ll be in touch Captain,” Dean told him. “This is something we’ve handled before and the less people involved the better.”

“I expect an update as soon as you know anything,” Savick insisted. He could feel the tension wafting off both the agents and wanted to question them more but did not think they would reveal anything to him. He started to ask to come along but did not think they would take kindly to that, especially the older of the two, and decided to let them do their thing. 

Dean looked into the Captain’s eyes for a moment before giving him a nod and turned to leave with Sam close behind him. They made their way back down the halls and to the door leading out. Neither spoke until they were in the car and Dean had cranked it.

“That was a vampire kill,” Sam spoke first.

“Yep, didn’t think there were many around and by the looks of it I’d say it was a newborn. There was no control there. Did you see how ragged and torn the bite marks were? All they wanted to do was feed.”

“If that was a newborn attack, where is the one that created it?”

“That is what we need to find out. We start where the body was found and start tracking it. Newborns are unpredictable and famished, they’ll attack anything with warm blood to feed.”

“How do you know so much about vampires? I don’t think Dad ever hunted one or at least never told us about it.”

“Bobby, he had me read a bunch of his books when I got hurt and stayed with him for a month. That was right after you took off for college. Couldn’t do much of anything else until I healed.”

“Oh,” Sam whispered looking down at his clenched hands as guilt washed through him. He had not tried to contact Dean or his father after he left for Stanford and had no idea what happened to them during this time. It upset him that Dean had been injured and he was not there to maybe prevent it.

“Nothing major, I healed okay and was back hunting five weeks later.” Dean glanced over a Sam and saw the pale look on his face and his hands tremble slightly. “I’m fine Sammy, don’t go blaming yourself for my carelessness. You left to do what you had worked for your entire life. I was pissed and hurt at first but got over it.”

“I’m sorry I wasn’t there…”

“Drop it bro,” Dean insisted a little stronger than he meant to. “It’s in the past and can’t be changed. I made peace with it with Storm’s help and have moved past it now. No need dredging it back up.”

“Okay, I understand,” Sam mumbled staring off into the distance as he let this tidbit of information sink in. He wondered what else Dean had gone through in his absence and wondered how Storm fit into the picture. He might ask her if he got to meet her after this hunt.

“The parks up ahead,” Dean said. He did not mention anything else about the conversation they just had. He pulled the Impala into a parking space close to where he saw yellow crime scene tape and a cop standing nearby. 

The brothers got out of the car and made their way toward a secluded area and flashed their badges to the cop standing guard. He waved them through and went back to his job. Dean looked at the ground that had been staked and saw drag and scuffle marks, like a person had been dragged from the path to here. Sam knelt and studied the small amount of blood on the ground before looking around. He stood and walked away, slipping under the tape to see if he could track what direction the vampire went.

He hoped with the vampire being newly turned he or she would be careless and have left a trail. Sam gave a whistle when he found traces of blood on a tree further down the trail. 

“What’d you find?” Dean asked stopping beside him.

“Smears of blood. I think it went this way.”

“Let me get the car and we’ll head that way to see what we can find.” He turned and went back to the car and pulled it from the space, stopping to pick Sam up. Dean moved the car slowly down the road while Sam kept a sharp eye out for more blood traces.

“Look over there,” Sam pointed fifteen minutes later. “That looks like some abandoned buildings. Would be a good place for a vampire to hide during the day.”

“Guess we should check it out and be sure nothing’s lurking in there, like a newly turned vamp.” 

After finding a place to park, they got out and went to the trunk to arm themselves with machetes.

“Watch yourself when we go in,” Dean cautioned him as he gripped the blade tightly in his right hand. He made his way toward the first empty building and stopped at a door trying it to find it locked. It did not look like it had been tampered with, so he moved around the side of the building looking for another door. “Locked too,” Dean said quietly as he tried the knob to a back door.

“There’s two more to check, maybe we’ll get lucky,” Sam replied moving toward the next one. He got to the side door first and tried the doorknob seeing it was locked. After wiping off a dirt coated window beside the door, he looked inside trying to see in the shadows, but did not see any disturbance or movement.

“Lucky number three,” Dean surmised looking to the last building before heading that way. Sam followed behind him, keeping an eye on their back as they approached the last building.

Dean’s body was tense, and he was ready for a fight. They moved quietly and steadily toward a back door and stopped as Dean examined the lock. He could tell it had been broken and saw splinters on the door jam. Dean used hand signals to communicate with Sam before slowly pushing on the door until it clicked open. He pushed it wide enough to slip inside and held it as Sam followed suit.

The inside of the closed building smelled stale and old. Bits of dust hung in the air and could be seen floating around in the rays of sunlight that filtered in the dirty windows. The room was scattered with broken cardboard boxes, pallets, a couple of chairs, and wadded, crumbled, newspapers. 

Dean spotted it first, a trail through the dust that went deeper into the building. He motioned for Sam to stay behind him as he cautiously moved forward, his machete ready. The next room was in no better shape but had more broken and abandoned furniture and trash. 

The attack came from the dark shadows and knocked Dean to the ground hard. He felt the hot breath on the back of his neck as he tried to roll over and dislodge the vampire. He rammed his elbow backward into the stomach, hearing a woosh of air as he scrambled to find his machete.

Sam saw the flash of a body dive from the blackness and ram into Dean. They both went down and rolled into the shadows where he could not see them good. He ran closer and tried to help but could not grab the vampire and pull her off Dean. He tried to grab a foot and when he got a good grip, jerked hard backwards, dragging the female vampire away from Dean. 

The female vampire screamed her rage as she turned on Sam, baring her fangs and reaching out her clawed fingers toward him. Sam stumbled back out of her reach as she got to her feet. Before she could attack Sam, Dean swung with all his might at the vampire’s neck, severing her head from her body. 

“You…Okay S’my…” Dean panted as he looked down at the body on the floor.

“Yeah, you?” Sam asked drawing in a deep breath and letting it out. “This is one of the teenagers that went missing, Hallie Knox, I think.”

“I’m guessing we know what happened to one of the other kids,” Dean sighed. “He or she was used as food for the newborns.”

“I think you’re right. How do we find the others now?”

“We need to find isolated places where head vampire can detain his new turns.”

“Why don’t we head back to the motel and I’ll do a search of the area and see what I can find.”

“Might as well, save us wasting time driving around aimlessly.”

“How ‘bout the body? We can’t leave it here to be found. If they look too closely, they’ll see the fangs.”

“What if we take the head and leave the body?”

“Yeah, that might work. At least we can give her family closure that way,” Sam commented sadly looking down at the young girl’s body. 

“Look around for something to wrap the head in and we’ll go bury it away from here.”

“Okay.” Sam started looking around the room as Dean went into the other room to look.

“Found something,” Dean called a few minutes later coming back with a piece of tarp. He bent down and draped it over the head and rolled it up, tying the tarp around the head. “Let’s go. We’ll drive out of town and find an isolated place and bury it.”

“Good thing we’re near the edge of town, we won’t have to drive too far,” Sam said.

They headed to the Impala and took a road out of town and several side roads until they were away from prying eyes. Dean pulled off the road and parked.

“It won’t take both of us, you wait here,” Dean told Sam before he got out and went to the trunk. He grabbed a shovel and the severed head and walked away from the car until he was out of sight.

Sam slumped in the passenger seat as he waited for Dean to come back. He pulled out his cell to see if he still had reception and found a map of the town. He started searching for isolated, abandoned sites that a vampire could use to hold up and keep his newly turned fledglings. Sam squinted and tried to enlarge the picture to see it better. He looked in the glove box for a pen and paper so he could take some notes.

Thirty minutes later Dean came back to the car and deposited the shovel in the trunk before going around to the driver’s side and dropping into the seat. He looked over at his brother who was scribbling on a scrap of paper.

“Have you found something?”

“I started searching for possible nest sites and found a couple I want to check on my laptop when we get back.”

“Heading that way. Wanna pick up lunch on the way back?”

“Yeah, that’s fine.”

Dean started the car and turned around to head back to town. He had spotted a deli he wanted to try that was not far from the motel they were staying at. He hummed and tapped his fingers to the music from the radio, ignoring his brother for now. 

**TBC**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: September 10th was the final taping of the last episode of SPN. It saddens my heart to know that it will be over now, but we can make it live on with our stories, art, etc. The SPN Family will never die. I have made some amazing friends during the 15 years that the show has been on. Thank you guys for all the support, friendship and love. Comments would be nice. Do you like this new character? NC**

* * *

“Okay geek boy, what have you found?” Dean asked. They had finished eating and Sam had continued his research looking for a location for a possible nest.

Sam gave Dean a frown but did not respond to the nickname he used. 

“I think I’ve narrowed it down to three possible locations,” Sam answered, flipping through his notes before continuing. “Here, look these over and see what you think.”

Dean accepted the pages and began to read through them quickly and then slower a second time. He fanned the pages out on the table to study the locations before finally speaking.

“This place, it was a vet’s office that closed several years ago,” Dean offered picking up the middle page. “They would have cages that could be used to hold a couple of newbies until they gained control over their thirst?”

“That does sound like a good place to hold up,” Sam agreed.

“We’ve got time before the sun goes down, let’s turn the room in, go check the place out, and go from there.” 

Sam got up and stepped into the bathroom to use it before they left. He came out and found Dean slipping on his jacket and putting his gun the waistband of his jeans in the small of his back. He had his bag packed and took his bathroom bag from Sam to pack. Sam quickly stuffed his clothes into his bag and glanced around to be sure he had everything.

“You good?” Dean asked him as he snagged the car keys from the dresser.

“Yeah,” Sam replied settling his own gun in the small of his back and grabbing his jacket. He followed Dean out the door and to the car to go check the abandoned vet’s office and to hopefully find the vampire’s nest. He hoped they would be lucky and find the other vampires there and could make a quick kill.

They drove in silence toward the other side of town and to the outskirts of the town where the vet’s office was located. Dean pulled into a grass filled parking lot and stopped, giving the place a once over before getting out. They armed themselves with machetes and quietly made their way to the first building with a faded, broken, sign reading _Office_ above the door.

Dean tried the knob and found it turned in his hand and looked at Sam to be sure he was ready before giving the door a gentle push, grimacing as it squeaked on rusty hinges. Once the door stopped moving, Dean stepped into the reception room that was filled with dust, cobwebs, dirt, and trash. Dean wrinkled his nose in disgust at the dank rank smell that assaulted his nose. Sam covered his mouth and softly coughed into his jacket sleeve, trying to be quiet. Dean moved past the desk to a door that led deeper into the building, his machete ready to use if attacked.

Sam looked over Dean’s shoulder and down a hallway that had doors on both sides that were closed. He went to one and Dean went to the next, nodding his head as they opened them together to find empty exam rooms. They closed the doors before continuing to the next two. These were empty also, but for some broken furniture, a couple of degraded cardboard boxes and some empty cleaning supply bottles.

Dean looked to the end of the hall and saw what looked like cages and tables. He cautiously continued to the open room and stopped when noises and scratching got his attention. Sam froze and cocked his head as he zeroed in on the sound. Dean moved around the corner and saw what looked like a larger cage that had a tarp over it, to hide whatever was inside.

Sam moved beside Dean and raised his machete to shoulder height as he waited for Dean to get into position and quickly pulled the tarp off to expose what was caged. Cries of pain and whines came from the remaining two teenagers that huddled in a corner of the large cage. The boy hissed and bared his fangs at them as he launched himself toward the front of the bars trying to reach the brothers. 

Sam automatically stepped back a step before looking at Dean and seeing his face go dark. 

“We can’t leave them like this,” Dean growled in anger, knowing there was no help for them. They had fed on human blood and were vampires now.

“You take one and I’ll take the other,” Sam told him agreeing with Dean. The teenagers were vampires now and they could not allow them to go free to kill and drain innocent people.

Dean looked around and saw a key laying on a counter nearby. He walked over and picked it up and went back to the cage to open the lock that held the door shut. He looked to Sam to be sure he was ready, knowing how unpredictable a newborn could be when they were crazed with the thirst. With a quick flick of the door handle, Dean stepped back and let the guy barrel out to be met by Sam swinging his machete and connecting with the teen’s neck. He stumbled backwards as the guy’s forward motion plowed into Sam sending him into a counter. He felt something sharp stab into his back under his shoulder and grimaced as his head banged into the upper cabinet making his vision swim. He quickly recovered and shoved the vampire back off him so he could finish him. 

Dean stood in the doorway of the cage and looked at the young female crouching at the back of the cage. She was whining and making panicked noises as Dean drew in a deep breath before moving forward, his machete gripped tightly in his right hand. 

“I’m sorry about this,” Dean told her before she threw herself at him and he knocked her to the floor. He planted a boot on her chest and chopped down with the machete to remove her head. He looked up to see Sam had killed the other one and stepped from the cage. 

“No! No!” a male voice yelled at them as the vampire that had turned the teens stepped into the room. He glared at the brothers as he snarled and dodged Sam’s first swing. He grabbed Sam’s arm and threw him across the room into a wall of cages knocking him out. “You’ll die for killing my family!”

Dean tried to prepare himself and held the machete ready for the vampire’s attack. The vampire’s speed surprised Dean and he felt his wrist being twisted, dropping his blade. He swung a fist at the vamp’s face, connecting and making him step back slightly. Before he could defend himself, Dean felt his body being lifted off his feet and he was thrown against the cage, hitting hard. 

The vampire’s rage was beyond control as he grabbed Dean by his jacket and hoisted his upper body up to expose his neck. He opened his mouth wide and started to latch onto Dean’s neck, but he got his arm up between them to take the bite. 

Dean cried out in pain as he felt the fangs sink into the flesh of his lower arm. Dean got a knee up between their bodies and shoved hard sending the vampire cartwheeling away from him. He rolled to his side and frantically looked for his weapon. 

Sam shook his head as he started coming around and tried to see through blurry eyes the shadowy movements of two figures in front of him. He did not feel the trickle of blood running down his cheek from a scratch. He tried to push his weak body upward to help his brother but only got part way before he slipped and fell to his knees as waves of dizziness washed over him. 

Dean was manhandled to his feet by the vampire and slammed once again into the cage. Ragged edges of metal dug into Dean’s side, cutting several gashes, one deeper than the other. The breath was knocked out of him as he tried to fight back but was losing ground. Without warning, the hands holding him disappeared and his weak legs gave out, sending him to the floor. He looked behind him and saw his brother standing nearby, heaving hard and barely staying on his feet. The vampire lay at his feet and the head was several feet away.

“Dean, are you okay?” Sam rushed stumbling to Dean’s side and dropping down beside him. He turned Dean’s head to see where the trail of blood was coming from and then saw the blood seeping from the wounds on his side. “I need to get you to the hospital.”

“No, no, don’t think it’s that bad, take me to Sniper’s Nest, Storm,” Dean gasped out before a cloak of darkness fell over his mind and he slumped sideways against his brother.

Sam eased Dean to the floor and pulled his shirt apart to see the bleeding gashes on his side. He dug the Impala keys from Dean’s jacket and hurried out of the abandoned building to get the first aid kit from the trunk. He stumbled several times and caught himself with the walls before getting outside. Sam went back inside and patched Dean as best he could to stop the bleeding before grabbing him under the arms and pulling him from the room. He got the back door of the Impala opened and pushed Dean inside, folding his legs so he could close the door.

Knowing he could not leave the evidence of the vampires in the building, Sam grabbed a metal mob bucket and dropped the heads inside. He took it outside and used a can of lighter fluid to douse the heads before setting them on fire. He stayed long enough to be sure they burned beyond recognition and hid the bucket behind the building. He hurried to the Impala and dropped into the driver’s seat, cranking her, and heading toward the interstate that would take him to the bar. He glanced back at Dean in the back and saw he was still unconscious and was looking pale.

**spn**

Sam pushed the Impala for all she could give, as he sped down the Interstate wanting to get help for his brother. He had heard occasional moans from the backseat, but Dean did not gain consciousness. He pressed harder on the gas pedal trying to gain extra power and it seem Dean’s Baby knew this and growled with more rmps. He tried to control the shaking of his hands as he rubbed his pounding head. He was sure he had a mild concussion from being tossed around by the had vampire. He was glad the sun had gone down and he did not have to deal with the bright light.

Sam exited the Interstate and followed the map on his cell until he saw the lights of the bar ahead of him. Dean was right, it did look like a beacon in the night. He slowed and turned into the parking lot, easing the Impala around the side of the building to the back before stopping, turning the car off and getting out.

The doors opened easily on oiled hinges as Sam stepped into the large room and looked around. His eyes roamed over the customers and to the bar where he spotted a female bartender. It only took one look to know this was Storm and he made a bee line to the bar. 

“Hello there, what can I get you?” Storm asked as Sam stopped in front of her. She frowned slightly when she saw the smeared blood on Sam’s cheek and the crazed look in his eyes but waited for him to respond.

“Are you Storm?” he asked almost breathless as he worked on pulling in slow breaths.

“Who’s asking?”

“I’m Sam, Dean’s brother; he’s been hurt and needs doctoring.”

Storm froze for a moment as she stared up at Sam and then quickly reacted. She called one of her bouncers over and whispered to him to take over the bar and to close up for her. 

“Where is he?” she asked Sam as she came around the bar.

“The car’s in back, Dean’s in the backseat.”

“Come on then, let’s get him upstairs to my place.” Storm led Sam through the door to the storage area and he watched as she punched in an alarm code to unlock the backdoor. She saw the Impala sitting near the door and waited for Sam to join her and open the backdoor of the car. “I’ll get his legs if you can get his upper body.”

“Okay. I bandaged his wounds as best I could, but he’s lost more blood than I like.”

“I’ll see how bad it is once we get him upstairs.”

Sam got Dean out of the back of the car and let Storm take his legs so they could carry him inside. He held Dean long enough for Storm to unlock the door to the stairs that led to the second floor and her living quarters. It was slow going but they got Dean into the living room and Storm directed Sam to her bedroom where they placed Dean on the bed.

“I’ll get my first aid kit and some towels and water,” Storm told Sam before stepping from the room.

Sam began to remove Dean’s jacket and boots and was getting his shirt off when Storm came back into the room carrying the needed items. She sucked in a sharp breath when she saw all the blood coating Dean’s clothes and the ripped T-shirt. She let Sam unfasten and slip his dirty jeans off and out of the way. Sam stepped back so Storm could get to Dean.

“Is this a bite?” she questioned looking at the vampire bite on his lower arm.

“Yeah.”

“What was it?”

“Vampire, he was going for Dean’s neck.” Sam was surprised that Storm did not seem shocked or concerned by his answer. He knew Dean told her about what they did, hunting, and she had read some of his journal, but her lack of reaction was still interesting. He had only known her for a few minutes but could sense her strong personality and will. He could see what Dean saw in her.

“Damn,” she mumbled taking a towel to put under his arm. Storm slipped on gloves before studying the bite mark. She poured peroxide over the wound and watched it bubble and did it again, wanting to clean it as good as she could. Once she was satisfied it was cleaned, she put antibiotic gel and a pad over it before wrapping it with gauze and taping it in place.

Storm slipped a towel under Dean’s side and reached into her boot to slip a knife out. Sam stiffened when he saw the knife but relaxed as Storm used the knife to cut away Dean’s ruined T-shirt and helped hold Dean up long enough so she could slip it from under his body. She peeled the filthy, temporary bandage from his side, tossing it in a nearby trashcan, and grimaced at the gashes on Dean’s side. After putting on clean gloves, she took a towel and wet it to wipe the blood away to see how bad the injury was. 

“It’s not as deep as it looks. One will need stitches and the other I can close with butterfly bandages. Open the first aid kit for me Sam.”

Sam obeyed Storm’s directions and put the kit within her reach. He watched as she cleaned the gashes with peroxide and wiped them dry. She pulled sutures from the kit and started to stitch the gash until Dean jerked and tried to get up.

“Easy Dean, you’ve been hurt,” Storm told him trying to hold him down as he swung at her. “Sam, try talking to him and see if you can calm him down.”

“Dean, hey bro; I brought you to the bar. Storm is going to patch you up. You need to hold still,” Sam tried his best to sooth Dean as he sat down beside him on the bed and pressed his hands into his chest to hold him down. “It’s going to be okay. You need some stitches is all. Just lay still dude. Lay still, it’ll be okay.”

Dean seemed to understand Sam’s words and quit struggling as he focused on Storm’s blurry face. He faded in and out of consciousness as Storm worked on closing the gash with small, tight stitches. She applied butterfly bandages to the other gash to close it. She wiped away the excess blood before applying antibiotic gel and placing a large piece of gauze over it, taping it in place. With that injury taken care of, she checked his head to find a small cut and cleaned it, wiping the blood from the side of his face.

“Dean, sweetie, I need you to take some pain meds,” Storm encouraged him as she raised his head and pressed two pills into his mouth. “Sam, the water.”

“Right,” Sam nodded taking a bottle of water from the nightstand and opening it. He held it to Dean’s lips and let some water dribble into his mouth. He watched making sure Dean did not choke as he gave him a little more before stopping after Dean swallowed the pills. 

“Try to get some rest honey,” Storm whispered to Dean as she smoothed his hair down and kissed his lips. 

“I’ll stay with him…” Sam started but was interrupted by Storm.

“Nothing doing Sam. I’ll stay with Dean. I’ll keep check on him during the night and wake him since I’m sure he has a mild concussion. Let me show you the spare room and you can get some rest. You look like you’re going to fall down any minute. You’re probably coming down from your rush.”

Sam wiped a hand down his face as he blew out a breath of air knowing she was right. He was exhausted and barely running on fumes. He followed Storm to another door below her bedroom and turned on a light for him. Sam gave the room a once over knowing it would suit his needs.

“Alright, why don’t you take your clothes off,” Storm announced making Sam jerk his head toward her as his eyes grew big and his mouth dropped open. 

“I…Mmmm…I…” Sam tried to talk but could only stammer at her.

“I need to check your injuries Sam. You can’t tell me you didn’t get some. I saw you wincing and frowning like you were in pain and I need to look at that cut on your cheek.”

“It’s okay, I can…”

“Nonsense; now do as I say,” she insisted planting her hands on her hips and tapped her foot waiting for Sam to do as she requested. “The sooner you strip, the quicker this will be over with and you can rest.”

Sam’s face reddened as he took off his jacket and outer shirt. He kept his head down as he slipped his T-shirt over his head and could not stop the soft moan from coming out from that movement.

“Turn around, where does it hurt?” she asked moving closer to Sam. “It’s nice to meet you Sam, but I wish it hadn’t been this way.”

“Yeah, me too, we had planned on stopping by anyway,” Sam replied as he jerked slightly when Storm felt the developing bruise and knot under his shoulder blade. He could feel her gentle fingers probing the area as she checked it out.

“The skin’s scraped away, leaving a raw place and you’re going to have a nasty bruise here. I can put some cream on it to help with the soreness.”

“Okay.”

Storm got the cream from the first aid kit and dipped her fingers into the jar. She carefully massaged it into the bruise and doctored a couple others on his back being gentle. 

Sam felt the cool pressure of her fingers rubbing the cream into the injuries on his back. The pain seemed to abate as the cream did its job.

“Now, sit on the bed and let me clean your cheek.”

“Alright.” Sam sat on the bed, glad to be off his feet as he let Storm tilt his head so she could see his cheek better. His face twitched as she wiped a wet cloth over the scratch removing the dried blood. He felt something cool being smeared on his cheek and the burning faded away.

“Do you have any other injuries I need to look at?” Storm asked.

“No, got a bump on the head but I’ll survive. It didn’t break the skin, just gave me a headache.”

“You should take some pain meds too so you can rest.” Storm shook two pills into Sam’s hand and handed him a bottle of water. She watched to be sure he swallowed them before packing the kit up and stepping back slightly from him. “Don’t’ worry about your brother Sam. I’ll take care of him, you take care of yourself.”

“Thanks for all this,” Sam said. He gave her a weak smile before she turned to leave the room. Once Storm was gone, Sam let his body sag and he rubbed his temples trying to relieve the pain radiating through his head. He stood long enough to pull the covers down and sat back down to take off his boots and jeans. Sam let his body sink into the mattress as he stretched out, thinking it felt good.

**spn**

Storm went to the bathroom and put the first aid kit back under the sink and washed her hands. She ran a brush through her unruly hair before stepping back into her bedroom and looking at Dean’s still form. With a sigh, she moved to the side of the bed and undressed, slipping on an oversized T-shirt. Storm eased onto the bed and cuddled next to Dean, cupping his face for a moment, checking for any fever.

“Oh Dean, I don’t like seeing you like this,” she whispered into his ear. Her lips brushed his cheek as she lay her head next to his and placed her hand on his chest to feel his slow breathing. She felt a tremor go through his body and tucked the blanket closer around him as she began to hum to him. Dean had told her about the dangers of being a hunter and that being injured was par for the job but seeing him hurt for the first time really brought it home for her. 

A small cry had Storm sitting up in bed and looking toward the doorway. She had woken Dean and gave him more pain meds and checked to be sure he was not running a fever twenty minutes earlier. Not sure what she was hearing, Storm eased from the bed and went into the hall looking to the spare bedroom. She could hear sobs and mumbling as she stepped to the doorway and saw Sam tossing and turning in his sleep.

“Sam, hey, it’s okay,” Storm cooed to him laying a hand on his arm to try and calm him. 

“Jess,” Sam gasped out as he sat up and grabbed her arm tightly. Tears were leaking from his eyes as he started at Storm thinking she was Jessica.

“No, it’s Storm, Sam. You were having a bad dream.”

“Sorry,” Sam mumbled wiping a hand down his face as he laid his head back onto the pillow. 

“Would you like to talk about it?” Storm asked softly seeing his distress and wondered who Jess was and what happened to her.

“I’m fine,” he replied.

“That won’t work on me, I know you’re hurting. I can see the pain in your eyes.”

Sam huffed out a breath and quickly wiped his face before glancing up at Storm. He could see the concern, compassion, and worry on her face as she moved to sit down at his hip. He adjusted his pillow to sit up and slid over a little to give her more room. He had not talked to anyone, not even Dean, about Jessica’s death or that he had seen her several times since her death. He did not know if her spirit was haunting him or if it was just his imagination.

“Who’s Jess?” Storm asked laying a hand on his trembling one and waited for him to answer.

“She is….She was my girlfriend,” Sam started letting her take his hand in her warm ones. He could feel her warmth spread into his hands and gave a brief smile. “She died in a fire a little over a month ago. I found her when I got back…I would have died too if Dean hadn’t pulled me out…”

“Oh honey, I’m so sorry,” Storm told him. She moved further up the bed and reached to pull Sam into a hug. 

Sam stiffened at first as Storm wrapped her arms around him and held him tightly, gently rubbing his back. Her compassion broke down the barriers Sam had put up and his breath hitched as he returned her hug, clinging to her. Tears ran down his face and wet her T-shirt as she rocked him and cooed to him. Sam gained control over his emotions and leaned back from Storm, wiping his face.

“I know you’re hurting Sam and you’re grieving, and it will take time to not feel that way. Just take it one day at a time and let those close to you help. You don’t have to do this on your own.”

“It was my fault she died,” he started. “I was trying to be someone I wasn’t. I left my family and put hunting behind me because I wanted to be normal. I should have known it would find me again. It was not going to let me go. I put her in danger the day I met her. She was killed because of me….”

“No Sam, you can’t go blaming yourself like that. It was not your fault.”

“If I had only told her….”

You loved her very much, didn’t you?”

“Yes, I was going to ask her to marry me. I knew she was the one, my soulmate, and wanted to spend the rest of my life with her,” Sam whispered as he thought back on the day he went shopping for a ring. He was going to surprise her and propose after he found out if he got into the law program at Stanford. 

“I know you don’t think you’ll be able to move on, but you will. I want you to know if you ever need to talk to someone, I’m here for you. I know Dean must feel the same way, but maybe it would be easier to talk to someone you don’t know that well.”

“Thanks, I might take you up on that. Maybe I can talk more in time. Things are too raw right now.”

“Why don’t you try to get some more sleep? Dean is doing okay, and you need the rest.” She stood, giving Sam’s hand a quick squeeze before leaving him.

Sam slid down in the bed and rolled to his side trying to get comfortable. He did feel a little better after talking to Storm and was happy Dean had found her. She was what he needed. He closed his eyes and let his breathing even out as he drifted back to sleep.

**spn**

Early morning sunlight was streaming through the window of the bedroom as Sam rolled over and groaned as he stretched his sore body. He squinted his eyes and rubbed them before getting up, needing to use the bathroom. He slipped on his dirty jeans since their bags were still in the Impala. Sam glanced into the other bedroom and saw Dean and Storm in each other’s arms still asleep.

Once he was done in the bathroom, Sam wandered toward the living room and saw the kitchen. He strolled that way deciding to make some coffee if he could find the stuff. Sam had a pot of coffee going when he heard noises in the living room and froze. He went on the offensive when a tall, older, man walked into the doorway of the kitchen and stopped suddenly when he saw him.

Sam was not sure what to do. He did not have any weapons on him and made to defend himself.

“Who the hell are you?” the man asked in a deep, threatening voice. He knew his daughter would not have another man up here since she had met Dean.

“Sam, I’m Dean’s brother,” Sam replied. He saw some resemblance to Storm and wondered if they were related.

“Well, it’s nice to meet you Sam. I’m Cooper, Storm’s Dad. About time your brother got back by to see her.”

“Good to meet you sir,” Sam said trying not to sound awkward. “I’ve got coffee going if you’d like a cup.”

“That sounds good, are they still asleep?” he asked joining Sam in the kitchen. He took a seat at the table as Sam poured two cups of coffee. 

“Yes, Dean ran into a little…problem and Storm patched him up.” Sam was not sure if Cooper knew anything about what they did and tried to be vague.

“It’s okay I know what he does. I’ve met a few hunters over the years. Do you hunt too?”

“Yeah, we have been together for the past month. I got back into the business again.”

“How bad was he hurt?”

“It wasn’t serious, Storm had to stitch him up and he has a mild concussion.”

“Good to hear. You hungry Sam? I can throw together some breakfast for us,” Cooper offered.

“That sounds good sir.”

“Drop the sir crap, call me Coop.” Cooper went to the fridge and checked to see what Storm had to make some breakfast. He sat eggs, milk, butter, and sausage on the counter and got out a couple of frying pans to start cooking. 

Sam watched Cooper move around the kitchen and sensed he was a good man. He was sure Cooper had been in the service and wondered what branch. He knew Dean had not mentioned him when he talked about Storm. It was not long before the aroma of cooking food filled the room making his mouth water and stomach growl.

**spn**

Dean moved and felt something move beside him and went on the offensive until he opened his eyes and saw the top of Storm’s head cuddled into his neck. It took a few minutes for him to remember what happened and how he got here. He brushed a stray strand of hair from her cheek and smiled when she opened her eyes and sleepily looked up at him.

“Hey Babe,” he mumbled kissing her head.

“Hey yourself, how are you feeling?” Storm asked him as she pushed up on one elbow to look at him. She lay a hand on his forehead to check for fever and was happy there was not one.

“Sore, head still hurts. How’s Sammy?” he asked looking toward the partly closed door.

“He’s fine, a few scrapes and bruises, he’s sleeping in the other bedroom. I checked him over last night after doctoring you. He had a few minor injuries is all.”

“Thanks for taking care of him and me. It’s good to see you again,” Dean whispered, pulling her down to brush his lips over her parted ones. 

“You too,” she replied. Storm was careful of his injured side as she found his lips again and kissed him deeply. She broke away and let her forehead rest against his. “I don’t think we need to get too carried away with your injuries.”

“Give me a couple of days…” he sighed knowing she was right as he shifted wrong and felt the pull in his side.

“I don’t want you tearing out those stitches I put in.”

“We can just lay here and hold each other then.”

“That I can do,” she agreed slipping closer to him and curling into his side.

“This is feels nice,” he told her, rubbing a hand down her back, and slipping it under her T-shirt to feel bare skin. It felt so good to have her back in his arms once again and wanted to savor every moment they had together. He sniffed the air and smelled coffee brewing and knew Sam must be up. “I guess we should get up.”

“I think Sam has made coffee.”

“Yep, he’s resourceful.”

“I’ll get a pair of Dad’s sweat and T-shirt for you to put on. I had to cut your T-shirt off you and your jeans are nasty.” Storm got up and went to the other bedroom and came back with the clothes for him. She slipped on a pair of shorts under her T-shirt as Dean put on the clothes. “Here let me help,” she offered helping him get on the shirt.

“Thanks,” he huffed, rolling his shoulders slightly to ease the tension from them.

**spn**

Cooper made up two plates and sat one in front of Sam and another at his chair. They began to eat and were halfway through their food when Storm appeared in the doorway supporting a weak looking Dean.

“Dad, hey, didn’t know you were going to be back so soon,” Storm greeted him, leaning to kiss his cheek while keeping her arm around Dean’s waist. “Sit Dean, I’ll get you some coffee and food.”

“Hello sweetheart. I got finished with the job early and have a couple of days before heading to the next project. Figured I’d drop by and see how you were doing. Dean, I’ve seen you looking better,” Cooper replied.

“Hello Coop, yeah, I’ve been better,” Dean grimaced as he eased into a chair. “You met Sammy, my kid brother?”

“Yes, we were talking about your last hunt.”

“Not one of my better ones,” Dean grunted. He nodded his thanks when Storm sat a cup of coffee at his elbow. 

“Scrambled or over easy?” Storm asked holding up a couple of eggs.

“Either is fine Babe,” Dean told her wincing as he twisted slightly in his chair feeling his stitches pull.

“Scrambled it is.”

“I’m going to run down and get our bags so we can change into some clean clothes,” Sam said. He scooted his chair back and picked up his dirty dishes to sit in the sink. 

“Do you remember the alarm code?” Storm asked as he started from the kitchen.

“Yes, I’ll set it again when I come back in.”

“That’s fine.”

“I like your brother,” Cooper commented once Sam was out of earshot. “But he seems troubled by something.”

“Yeah, Sammy was going to college at Stanford until his girlfriend was killed,” Dean said, sadness in his voice. “I had to drag him out of the apartment, or he would have died too. He’s been with me ever since.”

“Tough break, it’s good he has you to help him through it.”

“Yeah, well, he has a habit of shutting himself off from everyone when he’s hurting. It may take some time to get him to open up about it, but I’ll be there for him when he needs me.” Dean stopped talking when he heard the door to the apartment open and knew Sam was back.

“Do you mind if I take a shower Storm?” Sam asked looking from Dean to her and wondered what he missed.

“Of course not, make yourself at home Sam. If you put your dirty clothes and Dean’s dirty ones in the hall, I’ll toss them in the washer for you.”

“Thanks, I’d appreciate that,” Sam smiled before heading for the bathroom to get a shower.

“I’ll help you take one after Sam is done Dean. I need to check my stitching out,” Storm told him as she sat a plate of food in front of him.

“You going to wash my back?” he teased and blushed when he remembered her father was sitting across from him.

“Only if you wash mine,” she shot back at him making her father roll his eyes and shake his head.

“I think I’ll go bunk with Nelson and give you guys some privacy,” he offered.

“We can go get a motel room Coop, you don’t need to leave.”

“It’s fine, I’ll come back by later before I leave to see you. Nelson has some things that need fixing; he won’t mind, he has the room.”

“How is he doing? Did he get a new wheelchair from the VA?”

“Yes, I need to fix a few things, so it’ll be easier for him to use them.” Cooper got up and put his dishes in the sink. “I’ll be off and will see you before I leave honey.”

“Okay Dad, give him my love.”

“I will, you take care Dean.”

“You too Coop,” Dean told him shaking his hand.

“Bye Dad.”

“Goodbye and tell Sam nice to meet him.” Cooper headed out leaving them alone in the kitchen. 

“I talked to Sam a little last night,” Storm offered as they ate their breakfast. “He was having a nightmare and I woke him from it. He thought I was Jess for a moment.”

“Yeah, he’s been having them ever since she died. I’ve tried to get him to talk to me, but he won’t.”

“It wasn’t much, but I hoped it helped. I told him he could talk to me if he ever needed or wanted to.”

“Thanks, maybe he’ll talk to you. I know it’s not good to keep all that crap bottled up inside.”

“That sounds familiar,” Storm commented arching an eyebrow at Dean and remembering their first encounter.

“Runs in the family,” Dean chuckled softly. He looked as Sam wandered back into the room pushing his wet hair behind his ear. “You’re looking better.”

“Feel better too.”

“I’m going to throw your dirty clothes in to wash and then you can get a shower Dean.” Storm got up and went to gather their clothes.

“Alright. Why don’t we go see if there’s anything on the tube Sammy?” Dean asked pushing himself from the chair and slowly straightening up.

“Let me do these dishes for Storm and I’ll join you,” Sam said.

“I can get them Sam.”

“No, no, let me. It’s the least I can do,” Sam insisted.

“No use arguing with him. He can be a stubborn ass sometimes.”

“Guess I’m like my older brother,” Sam shot back giving him a bitch face.

“You can tell you’re brothers,” Storm laughed as she carried their dirty clothes to the laundry room. 

“Go on in the living room and I’ll join you in a few minutes,” Sam told Dean. “You need to rest and let yourself heal.”

“So, you’re the boss now?”

“If I have to be.”

“Bitch.”

“Jerk.”

“Sam’s right, you need let yourself heal Dean. It’s two against one. So, I think we win.”

“That’s right, gang up on the injured one.” Dean shuffled to the other room and took a seat on the couch and picked up the remote from the end table. He switched on the television and began to flip through the channels looking from something to watch. He was glad Sam got to meet Storm and her father, even if it was under these circumstances. He figured they would stay a few days with Storm so he could heal before heading out and going to Sioux Falls to see Bobby, their mentor, and surrogate father. 

**The End**


End file.
